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Stewart Park

Strategically located at the south end of Cayuga Lake, Stewart Park is
arguably the premier birding spot in the Ithaca area, and one of the best
sites for finding birds in the entire Cayuga Lake Basin. From a birding
standpoint, Stewart Park has it all--an expansive view of the lake to scan
for ducks, geese, and other waterbirds; a convenient spot to look for migrant
songbirds; and a patch of bottomland forest that hosts a nice collection
of breeding birds.

The main attraction at Stewart Park is its extensive access to Cayuga
Lake, stretching from the southeast corner of the lake westward to the
mouth of Fall Creek. During the winter months, there can be huge concentrations
of diving ducks at the south end of Cayuga Lake, often just north of the
ice sheet that develops as temperatures drop. On the 2001 Ithaca Christmas
Bird Count, an amazing 13,000+ Redhead
were estimated to be in this area, along with 8,000 Canvasback.
Smaller numbers of Greater
Scaup and Lesser
Scaup can usually be found in these massive Aythya flocks,
and there are often a few dabbling ducks like American
Wigeon, Gadwall,
and Northern
Pintail on the periphery of such congregations. In some winters, these
huge rafts of ducks are absent from the Stewart Park area, but even then
there are plenty of other birds to be seen. Scores of both Common
Mergansers and Common
Goldeneye can usually be found offshore from the ice edge, and there
are always plenty of Canada
Geese in the area. Careful scanning through the thousands of Canada
Geese could yield a "Richardson's" Cackling
Goose, a small goose that was recently split from the larger Canada
Geese. It should be noted that while most species of waterfowl here are
identifiable solely with binoculars, a good spotting scope can make watching
ducks, geese, and other waterbirds at Stewart Park a much more enjoyable
experience.

The ice edge at Stewart Park also hosts substantial numbers of gulls
during the winter months, with Ring-billed
Gull, Herring
Gull, and Great
Black-backed Gull predominating. Though hardly common, Lesser
Black-backed Gull is being seen with increasing regularity, and a
persistent observer is likely to also see at least one Iceland
Gull or Glaucous
Gull during the course of the winter. With the abundance of waterfowl
and gulls at Stewart Park during the wintertime, it is only natural that
birds of prey are also drawn to the area. Two of the true success stories
of the Endangered Species Act--Bald
Eagle and Peregrine
Falcon--are now uncommon winter visitors to Stewart Park. They can
sometimes be found standing on the ice edge, feeding on prey, or perched
in one of the large dead trees along the mouth of Fall Creek.

By late April, songbird migration is also starting to pick up, with warblers
and other Neotropical migrants arriving in the Basin. While not generally
thought of as a destination for finding landbirds, Stewart Park does offer
the Swan Pen as a mini-hotspot for seeing migrants. Located by the western
edge of the park, adjacent to the Cascadilla Boathouse, Fall Creek, and
the lake, the Swan Pen is an artificial pond that formerly hosted a pair
of Mute Swans. A small trail around the perimeter of the Swan Pen can
be easily navigated in 5-10 minutes when not birding, but the walk can
take significantly longer when good numbers of birds are present. This
area seems to be a good spot for seeing particular migrant species, especially
Palm
Warbler, Northern
Waterthrush, Blackpoll
Warbler, Yellow
Warbler, Yellow-rumped
Warbler, Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher, Warbling
Vireo, and White-crowned
Sparrow. Some of the Yellow Warblers stay and breed in the willows
along the Swan Pen, and it appears that a pair of Eastern
Kingbirds also nests in the area. After completing the walk around
the Swan Pen, it is always worthwhile to look across Fall Creek and scan
the dead trees along its edge; during migration, one of these snags might
serve as a perch for a Merlin,
Osprey,
or Black-crowned
Night-Heron. In the summer months, search the same area for Green
Heron skulking along the water's edge.

The Swan Pen at Stewart Park.

Following Fall Creek upstream away from the Swan Pen, one will soon come
to a green footbridge that crosses over a small lagoon and enters a tract
of mature bottomland forest. This is the home of the Fuertes Bird Sanctuary,
named after famed bird artist Louis Agassiz Fuertes following his untimely
death in 1927. Fuertes was the first president of the Cayuga Bird Club,
and it is the club that is responsible for the upkeep of the sanctuary.
In recent years, birders have visited this area, also referred to as the
Renwick Sanctuary, primarily to view nesting Great
Horned Owls. This species begins breeding in January, and can be located
in the Fuertes Sanctuary by scanning large cavities or the tops of broken-off
trees for the head (or at least "horns") of an incubating owl.

Back in Stewart Park, the birding can be a bit slow during the summertime.
This can be a good time to look (and listen) for one of the park's signature
birds--Fish
Crow. Although this species is sometimes found in other parts of Ithaca,
it is most reliably found along the lake edge at Stewart Park. Listen
for Fish Crow's nasal call to help distinguish it from the larger American
Crow. Northern
Mockingbird is another uncommon Basin breeder that can be found year-round
at Stewart Park; listen for this more accomplished vocalist immediately
upon entering the park from Rt. 13. When visiting Stewart Park during
the summer months, also be sure to keep an eye out for rare visitors like
Cattle
Egret and Snowy
Egret, both of which have occurred in the park in the past.

In October, migrant waterfowl begin to appear at Stewart Park again.
All of the species listed as spring migrants above can also be expected
during the fall. Three additional species--Brant,
Surf
Scoter, and Black
Scoter--are much more likely to be seen at the south end of Cayuga
Lake during fall migration. Even then, though, these species are not always
easily observed. While Brant can sometimes be seen resting on the lake
(or feeding on the grass at Stewart Park), a more common sight of this
species is that of a shifting flock flying south over the lake, gradually
gaining altitude to fly over Stewart Park, and continuing southward. Scoters,
on the other hand, are usually found on the lake, and sometimes remain
in the area for several days. However, they are often found far out on
the lake, making identification to species difficult even with a spotting
scope. A combination of persistence, a spotting scope, and good luck is
usually needed to get satisfying looks at any of the three species of
scoters at Stewart Park. These species, together with Long-tailed
Duck and Red-necked
Grebe, are often better seen from nearby East Shore Park.

In addition to hosting an excellent diversity of common birds, Stewart
Park has been the site of some of the most exciting discoveries of rare
birds in Cayuga Lake Basin history. The following rarities have all been
seen at Stewart Park just since 2000: Little
Gull (April 2000, May 2002, and Jan. 2003); Sabine's
Gull (Oct. 2000); Laughing
Gull (Dec. 2000 and Sept. 2002); Eared
Grebe (April 2001); New York State's second record of Long-billed
Murrelet (Dec. 2001), Northern
Gannet (Dec. 2001 and Dec. 2003); Arctic
Tern, Red
Phalarope, Wilson's
Storm-Petrel, and Parasitic
Jaeger (all in Sept. 2003, following Hurricane Isabel); Greater
White-fronted Goose (two in Nov. 2003); Audubon's
Warbler (Oct. 2004); and the Basin's first-ever Cave
Swallows (Nov. 2004). Standing at the south end of Cayuga Lake, there
is the sense that almost any bird, whether common or rare, could be found
in the Stewart Park area.

Although described in the Ithaca
Lighthouse Jetty account, the Jetty Woods can also be visited during
a trip to Stewart Park. To reach the Jetty Woods from the park, take the
footbridge over the lagoon, into the Fuertes Sanctuary. Follow a trail
along Fall Creek and then cross the creek on another footbridge. Being
careful not to disturb any golfers present, walk westward along the perimeter
of the Newman Golf Course until reaching the edge of the Jetty Woods.

The footbridge from Stewart Park to the Fuertes
Sanctuary.

To reach Stewart Park:

From downtown Ithaca and points to the south, take Rt. 13 north to the
"Stewart Park/Auburn" exit. At the exit ramp stop sign, turn
left onto Rt. 34 (also called East Shore Drive). Almost immediately after
passing under Rt. 13, turn left onto James Gibb Way. Then turn right onto
Gardner Parkway, cross over the active railroad tracks, and proceed into
Stewart Park. Once inside the park, turning to the right will bring a
visitor to the east end of the park, while turning to the left eventually
leads to the Swan Pen and the bridge to the Fuertes Sanctuary.

From the Laboratory of Ornithology and points to the east, take Rt. 13
west (and eventually south), eventually descending dramatically towards
lake level. Near the base of the incline, look for the "Stewart Park/Auburn"
exit. Take this exit, and after stopping at the end of the exit ramp,
proceed straight ahead onto Gardner Parkway and into Stewart Park. Once
inside the park, turning to the right will bring a visitor to the east
end of the park, while turning to the left eventually leads to the Swan
Pen and the bridge to the Fuertes Sanctuary.

Cornell students can reach Stewart Park by bus, bicycle, or foot (although
it is a rather long walk from campus). The TCAT bus route servicing Stewart
Park is Route
16. This route does not cover campus, though, so taking an additional
bus would likely be necessary. Also, this bus route does not run on Sundays.
To bike or walk from campus, the most direct route is to follow University
Avenue downhill from West Campus. Go straight through the intersection
with Stewart Avenue, and then go straight through the next intersection.
Follow the road, now known as Lake Street, down the very steep Gun Hill,
and then over Fall Creek (with Ithaca Falls visible on the right). Now
known as East Shore Drive, the road continues past the Boynton Middle
School and Ithaca High School and eventually passes under Rt. 13. Almost
immediately after passing under Rt. 13, turn left onto James Gibb Way.
Then turn right onto Gardner Parkway, cross over the active railroad tracks,
and proceed into Stewart Park. Once inside the park, turning to the right
will bring a visitor to the east end of the park, while turning to the left eventually leads to the Swan Pen and the bridge to the Fuertes Sanctuary.